Chapter 62 Helplessness

"Dr. Lu," Nan Zhiyi greeted him.

Zhou Anping pursed his lips and also called out, "Dr. Lu."

Lu Linlang glanced at them coldly, especially when her gaze swept over Nan Zhiyi and Zhou Zhengping standing by the car; the contempt in her eyes was almost overflowing.

She didn't even nod, only let out a soft snort from her nose, and turned her face to the side.

Zhou Anping was furious at her attitude and was about to say something sarcastic when Nan Zhiyi gently pulled his arm.

Nan Zhiyi stopped looking at Lu Linlang and turned to Zhou Zhengping: "Aping, take good care of Anping. If your aunt blames her, you must... protect her."

Zhou Zhengping's body trembled slightly, but he finally nodded: "Okay, I understand."

Nan Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief and handed a small cloth bag containing fruit and steamed buns to Zhou Zhengping: "You have to eat the steamed buns as soon as possible, or they'll go bad."

Lu Linlang had already moved to the back row. She witnessed everything, especially when she saw Nan Zhiyi stuffing things into Zhou Zhengping's hands and saying such "intimate" things. She couldn't help but roll her eyes and turn her lips down.

She's really not presentable... She's entangled with everyone!

Zhou Anping's anger flared up again when he saw Lu Linlang's face.

Just as she was about to explode, Nan Zhiyi squeezed her hand tightly, signaling her to ignore it.

"Anping, I will miss you."

"Zhiyi, I'm leaving. You must take good care of yourself and write to me often! You must write!" she repeatedly urged.

"Yes, I'll definitely write it. You take good care of yourself, think things through more, and don't act impulsively."

Nan Zhiyi patted her back, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Zhiyi, we're on the bus. Anping, let's go..." Zhou Zhengping looked at Nan Zhiyi and urged her softly.

Zhou Anping got into the passenger seat, looking back every few steps, keeping a good distance from Lu Linlang.

...

Nan Zhiyi stood at the entrance of the military camp, watching the car kick up dust and disappear into the distance. She felt empty inside.

She slowly walked back to the courtyard and carefully tidied up the house.

The bed sheets and duvet covers were washed in the washing machine and hung out to dry in the yard.

They also put away the pillow and thin blanket that Gu Xiao had used on the sofa...

Gu Xiao returned home earlier than usual in the evening.

Nan Zhiyi is hanging bed sheets on the clothesline to dry.

She smiled, "So early? I haven't cooked yet..."

"Why didn't you wait for me to come back before you tidied up?" Gu Xiao washed his hands, walked to the other side, and smoothed out the wrinkles in the sheets.

"It was washed in the washing machine, I wasn't tired."

Gu Xiao stopped letting her do it, finished drying the rest himself, walked over to her, and pulled her into his arms.

Nan Zhiyi, worried that someone might see them passing by outside the courtyard, pushed his chest, "Chicken noodle soup for dinner? There's still more than half of the chicken soup left from lunch..."

Gu Xiao looked down at her, his gaze lingering on her face, before finally saying, "It's fine."

With a strong pull, he lifted her up, supporting her legs and letting her sit in the crook of his arms.

"ah!"

Nan Zhiyi gasped softly, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck, "Put me down...what if someone sees us..."

"It's our own home, what's there to be afraid of?" Gu Xiao carried her into the house, his steps steady.

He tilted his head slightly up to look at her, his eyes burning with passion. "I missed you."

Nan Zhiyi's heart skipped a beat.

I've been busy spending time with Anping these past two days, and I've really neglected him.

She tightened her arms around his neck, pressed her face against his ear, and whispered, "I miss you too... so much."

He strode into the room, closed the door with his foot, and placed her directly on the table.

"I'll go cook..."

Nan Zhiyi blushed and pushed him away.

Gu Xiao ignored her, braced himself on the edge of the table beside her with one hand, lifted her chin with the other, and kissed her directly.

Nan Zhiyi was quickly overwhelmed by the kisses, her fingers gripping his clothes tightly.

Gu Xiao only stepped back slightly when she was almost out of breath.

"Do you remember what you promised me the day before yesterday?"

Nan Zhiyi's eyes were glazed over: "What?"

Gu Xiao leaned close to her ear and said, "You said... you'd agree to any request I make next time."

His voice was extremely low and seductive, "Tonight... you'll do whatever I say, okay?"

Nan Zhiyi's ears instantly burned, and even her neck turned red.

She buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, "...Okay."

Gu Xiao kissed her cheek with satisfaction before taking her to make dinner.

During the meal, his gaze was like fire, making Nan Zhiyi restless and unable to hold her chopsticks properly.

The summer night was sweltering. Gu Xiao took a cold shower in the yard, then returned to the house wearing only military trousers and with his muscular upper body bare.

He quickly changed his clothes and lay down on the bed, listening to the pattering water from the toilet, growing increasingly anxious as he waited.

Finally, the sound of water stopped. Nan Zhiyi walked out hesitantly. She didn't go to bed immediately, but went to the dresser in the corner, took something out, and then quickly went back to the bathroom.

Gu Xiao waited patiently, and after a while, the bathroom door opened again.

Nan Zhiyi slowly walked out, her eyes darting around, and dawdled to the bedside.

"What's wrong?" Gu Xiao reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Nan Zhiyi leaned on his shoulder, her voice barely audible: "...I...I got my period."

Gu Xiao froze for two seconds, then let out a childish wail, buried his face in her hair, and slumped down.

Just as Nan Zhiyi was about to speak to comfort her, a sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen. She gasped for breath, and her face paled.

"What's wrong?!" Gu Xiao immediately looked up and saw her clutching her stomach, covered in cold sweat. "Does your stomach hurt? Does it hurt a lot?"

Nan Zhiyi leaned against his burning chest, drawing warmth from it: "Sometimes... it hurts a little... just a tiny bit..."

Gu Xiao didn't believe her claim of "just a little bit".

He could clearly feel her body tense up from the pain.

He warmed her cold lower abdomen with his large, warm hands, trying to dispel the chill.

"Is this... better?"

"Mmm..." Nan Zhiyi leaned softly against his chest.

Gu Xiao held her in his arms and continued to warm her with his palms.

"Has it always hurt like this before? Should we go see a doctor tomorrow?"

Nan Zhiyi shifted in his arms, finding a more comfortable position to snuggle against him: "It used to be like this too, sometimes better, sometimes worse. Sometimes it hurt, sometimes I didn't feel anything. My mother took me to see so many doctors, and I took a lot of Chinese and Western medicine, but it never seemed to get better. Some doctors said it was a genetic problem... and some senior doctors said... maybe it would get better after... I had a baby..."

"Have a baby?" Gu Xiao repeated, looking down at her ears, which were flushed red with embarrassment.

He pulled her closer, his chin brushing against her forehead. "Then... shall we... try having one?"

Nan Zhiyi softly hummed in agreement, nestled in his arms, and gently traced lines on his chest with her fingertips.

Gu Xiao was helpless.

My stomach hurts, and you're still so restless?

He thought to himself that the surgery department at the military hospital was alright, but the gynecology department... he couldn't recall hearing of any particularly famous gynecologists there... he still had to inquire about it.